The present invention relates to telecommunications. More specifically, the present invention relates to telephone and telecommunications systems and servers for communication across computer networks.
The prospect of consumers making a long distance call for the price of a local call has spawned the market for Internet-based telephony. There are two current techniques enabling consumers to make calls over the Internet.
One technique for internet-based telephony requires both the sending individual and the receiving individual to both have computers that are connected to the internet, and require the receiver to have a known internet address. Typically the sender types-in the receiver's known internet address, connects to the receivers computer across the internet, and when connection is made, talks to the receiver.
This technique has several draw-backs, for example, individual users typically do not have their own unique internet address. Since individual users typically connect to the internet through an internet service provider (ISP), only when the user connects, will she have a dynamically assigned internet address. Thus, in order for another individual to contact her, she must somehow transmit the dynamically assigned internet address to the calling party and then await being contacted. With this technique the call must be pre-arraigned, and is limited to person to person calls. Another drawback is that the sender and the receiver must use multimedia computers.
Another technique for internet-based telephony again requires both parties to have computers that are connected to the Internet. Initially, both parties connect to a particular host site. This host site then provides both parties with a list of users coupled to that site, such as a conventional chat room. One party then selects the other party's name from the list of names and then makes the connection.
This technique has several draw-backs including that the users must rely on a third party host site in order to make contact with each other. Another drawback is that since both parties must actively contact the site before talking to each other, the call must be pre-arraigned.
The above techniques typically rely upon packets of voice data being sent back and forth between callers across the Internet. The packets of data are then typically converted to analog form and played back to the callers. Such techniques, however, typically do not address what happens if the data packets are scrambled during the transmission process. As a result, typical communications may be garbled, may have extended periods of silence, and the like.
Some recent techniques have been developed to stream data packets across the network. Such techniques buffer a number of data packets onto the target computer before playing back the packets to the listener. This is done to ensure “smooth” playback of the data packets. Such techniques are not viable for communications across the Internet, because the latency generated by such buffering would be so large as to be considered unsuitable for communications. Further, such techniques have not based upon industry standard network transfer protocols but proprietary protocols. Because, MIS departments would have to commit additional resources to support such proprietary protocols, MIS departments typically give blanket rejections to such support requests.
Thus, in light of the above, what is needed in the industry are improved methods and apparatus for providing communications across a computer network based upon industry standard protocols.